Jared Leto to Work His Method Mayhem on Andy Warhol Biopic

In news that will either delight or horrify you (there seems to be no in between when it comes to Jared Leto), the actor with this year’s most laughably controversial method approach is turning his attention to Andy Warhol for a new biopic about the iconic pop artist / photographer / Studio 54 fixture. And if you’re not particularly thrilled about that news, perhaps this will help: Wolf of Wall Street writer Terence Winter is developing the script.

THR reports that Leto will star in the biopic, simply titled Warhol, based on a script from Wolf of Wall Street writer and Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter, who most recently served as showrunner on HBO’s short-lived Vinylseries. Leto will also produce Warhol alongside Michael DeLuca, the exec best known for backing Oscar-winners like The Social Network and Captain Phillips.

The project is based on Warhol: The Biography, Victor Bockris’ 1989 book about the life of the famous pop artist, who rose to prominence in the ’60s with his consumer-oriented works of art. Warhol was also the brains behind The Factory, a haven for artists and upscale socialites alike, and served as mentor to Jean-Michel Basquiat. Enigmatic and eccentric, Warhol was well-known for his irreverent taste and distinctive style; among those who flocked to Studio 54, Warhol was basically royalty.

Warhol won’t be the first time Winter has been involved with depicting the artistic icon: John Cameron Mitchell perfectly (and I mean PERFECTLY) portrayed Warhol in a handful of episodes of Vinyl. It’s too bad that Mitchell isn’t reprising that role in the new biopic, though Leto could make for a fairly compelling version in his own right.